San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-05-18

| OndTlnlll9 Gay JillS mas DteD, SaiQ
! young lady, who evidently took pity on
my forlorn condition.
"Charming-beautiful / replied,
looking at the speaker, who had the
most wonderful gray-blue Irish eyes
had ever previously seen, which had
now merry look in them they strove
lin vain to conceal.
She gave pleasant, soft, musical
laugh when had spoken.
You forget it has been raining all
day." she said, looking at me with a
| quiZZing gaze.
$50 it has," said /, remembering the
| fact and laughing with her at my words;
all the while felt myself blushing.
II only spoke Of the weather to break
the conversational ice," she said.
you are merciful," answered,
wondering if she was laughing at me.
Am |? | saw you were stranger
to us, and Mr.. Phelan is being instruct
ed in the pedigree of the MacFums, I
suppose, and cannot get away for a
| quarter of an hour to Introduce you"
she said, with a friendliness that set me
| at my ease at once.
"Will you allow me to do myself that
pleasure?"
~ think can spare you the trouble"
| she replied, in the most musical of
voices. You have come from London
to stand godfather to babyp"
II have" answered, wondering how
she knew, and watching with pleasure
the arch look that suddenly darted into
her wonderful eyes. began to think
| that she had one of the most interest
ing faces | had ever seen: her lips were
red and saucy, and were. thought Just
then, made to kiss and be kissed.
shall point You out the godmoth-
err she asked, watching my face as she
spoke. ...
"No-that is, yes" l replied, think
ing Of what Tom had told me, and just
a little curious to see his beau ideal Of
my future wife.
There she is, at the other side of the
room, in gray silk dress, talking to
that stout little man with the brown
| wig"
'Do you mean"
Yes, that tall angular lady, with the
little bunch of curls at each side of her
face. She has been a beauty in her day,
and has just come in for thousand
year, since which time she has had six
proposals OF marriage and has stood
godmother to a hundred and twenty
three children. Before she came in for
that legacy no one ever noticed her: and
though her manners have not changed
in the least, the world has only now
suddenly discovered that she is one of
the most amiaDle women living. Now,
l always knew that fact, and stated it
openly, though no one would believe
it,"
Whilst my new friend spoke l felt
that she was watching my face keenly.
This, then, l said to myself, was the
woman whom Tom Phelan had assured
me would make me happy man. The
lady was ut least twenty years older
than l was; but any disparity in
that way Tom evidently thought would
be made up to me by the fact of my flu
ture wife possessing thousand year.
began to think that my friends
character had undergone a change. |
had always considered him far from
mercenary; but probably the cares and
expenses of his new life had made him
regard money in a different light from
what he had done in the old days; and
he thought he would do me friendly
turn by marrying me to woman old
enough to be my mother, because of her
wealth. | was sorry for Tom Phelan.
Marriage, l thought, had not raised the
tone of his mind. looked over at him
then, and saw a cheerful look on his
round pleasant face, as if something
had occurred that made him very happy.
Probably, | said mentally, 1t is one of
Mrs. MacFum's tales that makes this
most good-tempered of men delighted.
When next | looked at my neighbor,
she too, thought, had merry express
sion in her eyes, that seemed to spring
from look she exchanged with Tom
Phelan.
$50 that lady is to be baby's godmoth-
err" l said presently, directing my gaze
to the lady in gray silk, with the little
bunch Of curls confined by tOrtoiseshell
combs, edged with row of pearls, at
each side of her thin pale face.
Yes. You must let me introduce
you. Indeed, you must know her. She
is one of the best and kindest of wo-
men,"
began to wonder if my new friend
was in the plot, too, and il she were en-
gagged by Tom and Mrs. Tom to lend her
assistance towards the desired end Of
marrying me to this spinster. felt as
If l should like to get up and run away
out of the house and out of the tolls
that these good people evidently sought
to ensnare me in; but the voice of this
girl with the gray-blue eyes, that now
sparkled with humor, and anon melted
into tenderness, almost in the same
minute, as only Irish eyes can, held me
a prisoner. | was unwilling to move
from her side.
Though she did not tell me her name,
she told me all about herself in a
frank, naive manner, that completed
the charm she held over me, and made
me her faithful bond-slave from that
hour to this day. Her father was in
India, she said; she and her mother were
living in Bray during his absence. She
expected him home next year, when she
feared they would leave dear old Ireland,
and go ON the Continent.
Then suddenly, in the midst of her
confidential chat, she asked me once
more to cross the room with her, and
get introduced to the lady who was to
be godmOther to Tom Phelan's baby.
Before could answer she stood up, and
waited for me to accompany her. Miss
Fay was the name of the spinster, who
was mild, agreeable gentlewOman,
with sad eyes and a gentle manner.
When my new friend had introduced
me she suddenly disappeared. Soon
after, some people who came in engaged
Miss Fay's attention, and | was left
alone"
Then Tom Phelan came up to me,
beaming all over with smiles.
You have not lost much time in
making her acquaintance, Fitz, old
boy"
ing what he meant.
"What do you think of herp"
He looked at me with his head on one
| side and broad smile on his face
"Think of her? She is very amable."